Artificial arm and hand



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No'ModeL) J. J. ALLWARD.

ARTIFICIAL ARM AND HAND. No. 396,061. Patented Jan. 15, 1889.

Witnesses: I lm/E'nhjr' i Jurlscm l mward e/wwm y N PETERS. MW. Wadinaion. D. C.

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. J. ALLWARD.

ARTIFICIAL ARM AND HAND.

! No. 396,061. Patented Jan. 15, 1889.

lrNE'ntma Judson] lfflvvard NlTE gTATES Fries,

ATENT ARTlFlCiAL ARM ANl) HAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,061, dated January 15, 1889.

Application filed October 29, 1888. Serial No. 289,367. (No model.)

To (all 207mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, .IUDSON .I. ALL'WARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbiaville, in the county of Lapeer and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Arms and Hands, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in artificial arms, and it refers more specifically to that class of artificial arms applicable to amputations below the elbow.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the artificial hand or claw, and further, in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the different parts, whereby great simplicity is obtained; while the device at the same time is adapted to a variety of uses, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accomjmnying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of said device as in use. Fig. 2 is a detached view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the claw, showing the construction of the wrist-joint in detail. Fig. at is a detail showing the swivel at the inn er end of the rod.

A is a shoulder-cap, preferably made of stiff leather and adapted to fit on top of the shoulder, an d having the forwardly and rearwardly extending short straps do, and bl), to the free end of each of which is attached a suitable buckle, c.

B is a body-strap, the ends of which are adjustably secured to the buckles 011 the straps ca, the said body-strap being of suitable,

length to pass around the body under the armpit, as shown, and thereby to hold the shoulder-cap in its adjustable position.

of stiff leather, and is perforated or provided with openings for ventilation, and upon its under side it is cut open and provided with suitable lacing, E, to adj ustably' secure it to the stump of the forearm.

G is an elbow-joint formed by a pivotal connection of the bars H I I and I I, which are respectively secured upon opposite sides of the casing and the socket, and this elbow-joint is of the kind known as rule-joint, preferably formed by extending the bars H beyond their pivotal connection and providing them with a lip, 9.

J is a metallic socket secured to the forward end of the socket of the forearm, preferably by making it integral with the bars I I.

K is a double claw provided with a shank, Ii, adapted to engage into the socket .I, and be rotatably and adj ustably secured therein,preferably by providing the shank with an annular groove, 71, in which the inner end of the thu1nb-screw i engages to adjustably and detachably secure the claw in position. The claw is provided with the stationary jaws and k and the movable jaws Z and m. The movable jaws Z and m constitute the opposite arms of a lever by being made in one piece, pivotally secured by a suitable pivot-pin at or near the junction'of the stationary jaws 7c and v v M is a wire rod, secured at its inner end by ineans of the swivel N to the outer bar, H, of the casing, near the elbow-joint, and provided upon its outer end with a hook, O, detachably engaged in an eye or aperture, I, formed on the jaw m.

The swivel N is ncferably constructed as shown in Fig. ii, and consists of the hook-stud Q, adapted to detachably engage with its hooked end into a suitable hole or aperture on the bar H and provided with an eye, B, into which the end of the rod M is secured, free to rotate upon its axis. The stud Q has a limited loose play in the bar H, the rod H has a limited loose play in the eye of the stud, and the hook O of the rod has a limited loose play in the eye P of the movable jaw, all sut'ficient to permit of the free movement of the parts without binding each other, and to permit the disengagement of the stud Q from the bar H and of the hook 0 from the jaw, if desired.

The stationary and movable j aws are peculiarl y formed and with a special view to permit of numerous applicatimis ot' the device for holding, lit'tin g, and handling articles of ditierent sizes, as a natural adaptation of the fingers of the hand to different kinds of work. V 7 Thus the stationary jawj is provided with a the shoulder-cap A, provided with. a bodyhooked end, 0, and with a notch, 17, at its base. The other stationary jaw is preferably provided with a circular inner face, q, and a straight or slightly-curved outer face, 1'. The movable jaw l is preferably provided with a circular inner face, s, and the movable jaw in is preferably hook-shaped.

In practice, the parts bein constructed and arranged as described and shown, it will be seen that when the device adjusted to the arm of the wearer, as shown in Fig. 1, the flexure oi the forearm operates the movable jaws in one direction through the medium of the rod M, while the extension of the arm operates the moval'lle jaws in the opposite direc tion. At the same time the motion of tlexion or extension will produce in each case the separation or opening of one pair of jaws and the closing or emitraction of another pair of jaws. Thus, also, there is but one cord. An article may be grasped either by the flexion or extension of the arm, and this, in combination with the variety of forms of the jaws, adapts the jaws to perform a variety oi work. Thus a pencil for writing, for instance, may be held in the notch p it the jaws L and .T are closed upon each other. A broom or similar article maybe readily held between the jaws 7t and Z. An article of irregular form may be grasped between the jaws m and 7r. The extremities of the jaws 7e and I operate as a thumb and finger, while the various coml'iinations ol' the movable and stationary jaws form an equivalent of the hand and thumb.

The free end of the rod M is provided with a bend, S, which prevents it from interfering with the cuffs or sleeve of the wearer and enables it to operate freely at any iiosition of the arm. By means of the set-screws 'i the claw can be rotated in its socket and secured in any desired position convenient to the wearer. The rod M, being rotatable in the eye of the swivel, will adjust the part in the proper position for work without bindin The claw K and the rod M are made readily detachable, for the purpose of securing tools of any kind to the socket J. Such tools have necessarily to be provided with a shank similar to the shank L of the claw, and thus a knife, a fork, or some other tool better adaptml than the claw for a partimilar kind oi? work, may be readily secured in lieu thereof. \Vhat: I claim as my invention is- .l. The combimltion, in. artificial arms, of

strap, 13, the casing strapped to the shoulder-cap, the socket ot' the forearm 1'), secured by an elbow-joint to the casing the socket .T on the i'orearnnthe claw detachably secured to said socket, and the rod M, connected by the swivel-joint N to the casin ot' the upper arm and to the ll'lOYitblO jaw of the claw, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the forearm, oi the socket .T :t'ormed thereon, the claw K, provided with a shank, ll, adapted to engage into the socket .l and. having an annular groove, 71, and. the set-screw '1'.

3. In an artificial arm, the combimttion, with the movable jaw of a claw provided with an eye, P, of the rod M, provided with the hook and the swivel N, detachably conneeting it to the casing of the upper arm near the elbow-joint, substantially as descril'ied.

4-. The combination, with the casing (l and socket D, of the bars H and l, secured upon opposite sides thereof, respeeti vel y, the elbow joint G, the clawK,having the stationary and movable jaws, and the rod M, provided upon one end with the hook O and at the other with the swivel N, consisting of the hook-stud Q, provided with an eye, R, in which the rod H is rotatably secured, all arranged. and constructed to operate as described.

The claw K, consisting of the stationary jaws j and 7s and the movable jaws Z and m in one piece and pivotally secured to the stationary part of the claw, in combination with the rod M, substantially as described.

6. The claw K, provided with a shank, ll, :tidjustably and detachably secured to the socket oi' the arm I), the stationary jaws j and 71:, provided with the hook O and circular face g, respectively, and the movable jaw Z, provided with the curved face .9, and the hook-shaped movable jaw m, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 23d day of August, 1888.

J U I)SON J'. AIILXVARD. lVitnesses:

P. "ll. HULBERT, J 01m SCHUMAN. 

